1. Field
The present invention generally relates to electronics. More specifically, certain embodiments of the present invention relate temperature detection and reporting systems. By the use of particular embodiments of this invention, one can easily and correctly detect the highest temperature generated in power driving and/or consuming system.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the concerns in certain areas of electronics is to measure the temperature of electronic components. For one example, in multi-phase Voltage Regulator (VR) design, sensing the highest temperature device of the VR board can be helpful to ensure VR safety operation or long life reliability. Thus, for example, in certain electronics systems, the system needs the most critical and hottest thermal information first. Having the hottest thermal information first may be important since the hottest temperature may be the best indication of potential malfunction or risk of hardware damage. For this purpose, in VR board design, a designer typically measures the board temperature under heavy load condition to find the highest temperature device on the board. Then the designer sets a temperature sensor, such as a thermistor, to monitor the temperature of that device. The exact hottest location information would have a lower priority if it were not necessary to position the thermistor accurately.
Currently, a thermistor is used for temperature sensing for discrete MOSFET-based Voltage Regulators (VRs) or power System-in-Package (SiP) type devices for VR.
In a conventional thermistor detection case, in the design stage, one needed to identify (via temperature measurements) the highest temperature component and then arrange the layout of the components so that the temperature sensor is near (physically proximate to) the highest-temperature component. Additionally, one had to depend on airflow strength and path or MOSFET efficiency versus various condition changes, as the hottest device and location may change from original estimation. To avoid the foregoing issues, multiple thermistor sensors could be used, but would tend to increase cost and require multiple Analog-to-Digital converters (A/Ds) and input terminals in the controller of the voltage regulator.
Certain systems, particularly in the areas of evolving and emerging technologies, may benefit from the support of critical temperature reporting systems. Thus, there may be value in practical approaches to providing critical temperature reporting systems.